Daily Reflections on 2 Sam. 24:18-25 (Owning Up to Mistakes)

Mistakes always cost you one way or another. Sometimes there's a big payoff. Sometimes it costs us very little. Whatever the cost, there is always a lesson to be learned. The lesson is sometimes heeded and other times we have to learn it again. For some of us who take a little longer to learn, we may have to learn the lesson several times before we actually get it.

All of have made our fair share of mistakes. Yet, to be honest, it hasn't stopped us from making more mistakes. Making mistakes seems to be a part of life. And the hardest part about our mistakes is always the cost of the consequences. The problem is that we can't control the cost of our consequences. And sometimes, the consequences sadly affect other people who are innocent bystanders. It always saddens my heart to hear of someone killed by a drunk driver, especially if it was a child. The tragedy seems more than unfair to the victims.

King David, although a man after God's own heart, was far from perfect. We have a lot of fond stories of David, but his behavior wasn't always on the same page as God. In 2 Samuel 24, David, against the advice of his closest friends, decided to find out how powerful he really was by counting all his fighting men. He was flexing his muscles in the mirror to enhance his own ego. David was getting a little cocky and was more interested in his own strength, power, prestige, etc. than he was in seeking and trusting God.

After the census was taken, David realized his sin. But God brought a humbling punishment on him. He actually gave David a choice of punishments. David chose a three day plague over the land. 70,000 people died. David pleaded for forgiveness and for God to stop the death of his people. It happened that angel of the Lord was at the home of man named Araunah. So David was instructed through a prophet of God to go an build an altar to the Lord there and make a sacrifice.

David arrived at the farm of Araunah to build an altar. But Araunah wanted to supply everything for the altar and sacrifice. However, David insisted on paying him for the property and the animal to be sacrificed with these words, "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

David's mistake had cost many lives. He had felt the pain of his people, owned up to the mistake, pleaded for mercy and forgiveness, and coffed up the cash to pay for his mistake. We can't escape the consequences for our mistakes. But to right ourselves with God, we must be willing to admit them in genuine remorse, recognize our humaness, humbly beg for mercy and forgiveness, and be willing to pay retribution. David wasn't able to bring back the family members of those who died in the plague. But he did step up to the plate and did his best to reduce any further suffering to his/God's kingdom.

God, your mercy is so awesome. How we need you. How I need you. I would love to minimize the mistakes I make. The only way I know to do that is to learn to trust you more. But my learning process seems to involve making more mistakes. I find myself learning the hard way. Empower me by my your spirit to seek your path, to minimize my screw ups, and to be willing to own up to the mistakes I do make.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 21:1-19 (Failure, Mistakes, and Screw Ups)

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first. I should know, I've done a lot things poorly. However, more often than not, after doing them again and again I generally get better. Very few of us are experts the first time we attempt something. I've never got "high score" on a video game unless it's the first time it's played.

Life is often that way. We learned to walk by taking a few step and going down. We'd take a few more steps and down again. We learn from our failures, our mistakes. We can be cruising along, enjoying the moment of life and suddenly, CRASH, we've just wrecked.

My daughter and I were tooling down the interstate at 70 mph in very heavy traffic when suddenly everyone stopped. It was like a scene out of a movie; tires screeching, cars careening out of control hitting ditches, sliding sideways. Me, I locked up the brakes and tried to slide in between the 2 lanes of cars, just as a van did the same thing from the other lane. I avoided the van but couldn't quite squeeze between it and the semi-sideways car in front of me.

Gun-shy wouldn't describe how I was driving or even riding in a car for several weeks. Panic would be a better word any time somebody's brake lights went on in front of me. I was a mess. But after one session with our counselor, I was back behind the wheel doing fine. Accidents, mistakes, failures happen in life. You can't let them hold you down or back. Wallowing in self pity or simply accepting a one time incident as fate, takes you out of the joy and potential of life. Besides, sitting on the sidelines prevents you from fulfilling God's plan and purpose for your life.

Jesus restored Peter after his colossal failure. He'd cashed in his future and had settled for an unfulfilling past. But Jesus helped him through it and gave him charge of his own mission. Just a few weeks later, Peter was baptizing 3,000 people into Christ and standing up to the religious hierarchy who threaten to kill him. Quite a change.

Having made my fair share of mistakes, failures and screw ups, I've learned that the more I trust in God and rely on the Holy Spirit, the better off I am. Acknowledging and learning from my screw ups only makes me better. God's grace is always bigger than my disgrace. God already knows I'm a mess. When I admit it, confess it, surrender it, He often takes my very weakness and uses it to His glory to minister to someone else.

God, thanks for your grace. When I'm weak, then you're strong. Thanks for turning my blunders into your blessings. Because of you, my failures don't disqualify me. God re-mold me, replenish me, re-use me for your Kingdom glory.